Velveeta Crisis May Be Over, But Here Comes the String Cheese Shortage

On the heels of the Velveetapocolypse comes a crisis of another kind — and color — a string cheese shortage. According to FOX News, Kraft, the makers of Velveeta, confirmed that its running low on Polly-O String cheese. The reason? In October 2013, the company voluntarily recalled 735,000 cases of the lunchbox staple and subsequently shut down the plant producing the defected cheese.

The recalled string cheese was produced by a plant in upstate New York (it carried expiration dates ranging from October 25 through February 11). Consumers previously complained that the cheese discolored and spoiled well before its posted date. Though it's been three months since the recall, shelves in New York and New Jersey still remain bare and they will likely stay that way until long after the snow has melted.

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Parents are finding the lack of supply to be a real challenge. "There is one string cheese that has captured the kid market," Jake Daehler told FOX News. "My son doesn't want the health store stuff. He wants what's familiar. He wants Polly-O." Another parent, Clair Behrle, took to Facebook to voice her frustrations. "My child could be the poster child for 'I only WANT Polly-O String Cheese.'" Behrle added that her child is actually 19 years old, but still a fan of the stretchable cheese. "She does not like any other," Behrle said. "At this point we have not found it for sale since the recall."

The string cheese shortage isn't limited to the New York area. FOX News reports that the product is missing from shelves in Detroit and Los Angeles as well. A store manager at Vincente Foods in Los Angeles has repeatedly placed orders since the recall but still hasn't received his full order.

FOX News reached out to Kraft to find out when the kid-friendly cheese might come back to supermarkets. Spokeswoman Joyce Hodel did not give specifics: "There are many variables that could affect how products get back into stock after a recall." Hodel declined to share further details about Kraft's recall process.

Are you searching for Polly-O String Cheese? Where have you found (or not found) it?